


Before the Fall

by lavenderlotus



Series: "All the Reasons Why" Universe [2]
Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25328506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderlotus/pseuds/lavenderlotus
Summary: It starts with Duncan recalling the time they went on a date to Amoeba Music, a record store in L.A. And that was all fine and dandy, until Courtney realizes that she’s never once set foot in Amoeba Music in her entire life.“Must have been with your other girlfriend,” Courtney means to say as a joke but the venom in her tone surprises even herself.Relationships aren't easy, especially when you take someone back in after they've cheated on you. Even if you were only sixteen when it happened. Set in the "All the Reasons Why" universe.
Relationships: Courtney/Duncan (Total Drama)
Series: "All the Reasons Why" Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834540
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	Before the Fall

_"_ _I’m sorry Princess.”_ A tinny voice from the other end of the phone sighs. _“I really can’t leave this session anytime soon. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”_

Courtney forces a smile. “It’s okay. I understand.” She clears her throat and puts on her best sixteen-year-old-haughty-Courtney front. “After all, it’s not like I need you to eat dinner or anything. I’ll be perfectly fine without you.” 

A warm chuckle. Courtney’s heart squeezes at the sound. _“Yeah, yeah. Try to save some leftovers for your lonely boyfriend over here then.”_ A groan. _“I can’t fucking wait to see you.”_

“Yeah,” Courtney murmurs. Her grip on the phone tightens. “Me too.” 

A rustle of voices in the background. _“Ah shit – I gotta go Princess, I’ll text you.”_ Before Courtney even has a chance to respond, Duncan hangs up. 

Courtney gives herself a single moment to stare dejectedly at her phone. She allows herself to feel sad, frustrated, and slightly upset. It’s stupid – she feels like she shouldn’t be so upset over such minute plans anyway. All they had planned to do was eat dinner and watch a movie at her apartment. Maybe try out the new organic bath bomb Courtney got from Bridgette. Courtney frowns at her TV screen, the Netflix home screen booted up and ready to go. 

But it feels like it's been weeks since she’s been able to even hold a proper conversation with Duncan, much less spend time with him in person. May is always a horrible month in general for Courtney with finals, last minute caseload assignments, and extra credit opportunities. And ever since Duncan had even set foot in L.A., he was always being whisked off to one event after another. If it wasn’t a concert, it was a record launch, and if it wasn’t that, it was an interview, and so on. 

_Get it together Courtney,_ she scowls. _You’re acting like you haven’t spent the last eight years of your life being single. And now you’re telling yourself you can’t handle a night alone?_

She straightens up, marches to the fridge, casts a thorough look at her fridge.

And promptly turns back around to the living room to decide what she wants to order off of Postmates instead. 

She grants herself an extra glass of wine that night and makes sure to place an extra order of orange chicken for Duncan, just in case he makes it home before midnight. 

* * *

“Hello! You have reached Courtney. If you are receiving this message, that means I am currently preoccupied. I will get back to you promptly. Please leave your name and number after the beep. Thank you!” 

If this were any other time, Duncan might have snorted at her voicemail. _I will get back to you promptly? Who says that?_ Instead, Duncan’s brows furrow and he looks up from his phone. The line for the restaurant they had reservations for was now wrapped around the corner. 

“Excuse me sir, but if the other member of your party doesn’t get here in the next ten minutes–” 

“I know, I know.” Duncan snaps, then takes a breath. “Our reservation will be cancelled. I got the message the first time you said it, chief.” 

The worker, efficiently scared, scurries away. Duncan rakes a hand through his hair and grimaces. He usually tries hard not to be such an asshole to service workers, knows that they’re only trying to do their job, but it had been a long fucking day and he is _starving_. It had taken forever for him to even get here – L.A. traffic was still a bitch, motorcycle perks or not. 

The minutes creep by. Duncan keeps calling Courtney, keeps getting the same animated voicemail over and over.

“Hello! You have reached –” 

"Damn it Court.” Duncan curses and hits the red end call button. 

This wasn’t like her. Courtney, for all her flaws and imperfections, is scarily on top of all her appointments. Dates like these are penciled into her passion planner weeks ahead of time. 

Time ticks to ten minutes past the agreed time. Then fifteen. Then twenty. Duncan is just about to resort to calling Courtney’s freaking _mother_ when he finally gets a call back.

“Duncan!” He hears her gasp. “I’m so sorry, my professor asked to talk to me to look at a case he’s working on in his office after class, I tried to hurry, I really did –” 

“Princess, it’s fine.” Duncan cuts her off. He’s never heard her so disheveled. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Courtney says hurriedly. “Duncan, I’m really sorry, but I think I’m going to need a raincheck on our date tonight.” 

Duncan forces himself not to let the disappointment seep into his voice. “No problem-o. We can always make another reservation.” 

“You are the best,” Courtney sighs with relief. Duncan kicks a pebble and it skids into the street. The worker at the host podium shoots him a sympathetic look. “I’m absolutely swamped with work tonight. But I’m so excited that my professor entrusted me to look over a _real_ court case!” 

“‘Course he would.” Duncan begins to walk away from the restaurant. He tries to smile for her sake. “You’re meant for this shit. The best of the best. Why wouldn’t he ask you?”

* * *

The straw that breaks the camel’s back isn’t even something worth arguing about. 

Okay, scratch that. It _is_ worth arguing over, but Courtney refuses to read into the deeper meaning of it all. 

It starts with Duncan recalling the time they went on a date to Amoeba Music, a record store in L.A. And that was all fine and dandy, until Courtney realizes that she’s never once set foot in Amoeba Music in her entire life. 

“Must have been with your other girlfriend,” Courtney means to say as a joke but the venom in her tone surprises even herself.

Duncan’s eyes narrow, bolts of electric blue that are crackling with mounting static. “What are you trying to say?” 

Fuck. She fucked up. But the words were out there now and she couldn’t just _take them back_ like an _emotionally sane_ person would. Nope. Instead she opens her mouth and hears herself lash, “What I’m _saying_ is that you’ve cheated on me before so I wouldn’t hold it past you to do that to me again.” 

There is a heartbeat of dead silence. She sees the gears turning in Duncan’s head and Courtney squares her shoulders like she’s going into battle. 

“Are you fucking serious, Courtney?” Duncan’s words are a crackling whip atop a freshly opened wound. “I drop all my plans for you today and you wanna go like this, right now –” 

“Oh wow! A whole day off just for me? How _special_ I must feel when half the time I’m sitting around waiting for YOU to come home –”

“That doesn’t fucking change the fact that–” 

“I’m not finished –” 

“Fucking listen to me and shut the fuck up for once–” 

“I _was_ listening to you, until you started talking over me–” 

“That’s because you won’t _shut the f–_ ” 

“STOP TALKING!” Courtney belts. Both of them are heaving. 

Duncan abruptly stands up from her spot on the couch. “I need space.” 

“Oh no you don’t,” Courtney growls. “We are fixing this right now.” 

“I need to cool off.” Duncan snaps. “I don’t want to kill my fucking brain cells over trying to resolve whatever bullshit this is right now.”

“So you’re telling me that this isn’t worth solving? Tell me _Duncan,_ what is so pressing right at this very moment for you to ignore our issues?” Courtney spits out his name like it's a curse.

“I never _said_ that Courtney, I just said I needed space right now.” 

“Ugh!” Courtney throws her hands up and turns away. “Fine. Go do whatever it is that’s more important than fixing our relationship.” 

She’s still rooted to her spot when she hears the door slam. 

* * *

Faster. Faster. He needs to go faster.

As his speedometer inches upwards, Duncan takes a deep breath into the wind cutting into him. Tries not to scream, even if the other cars on the freeway won’t hear him anyway, because he still has _some_ semblance of sanity left. 

_“What I’m saying is that you’ve cheated on me before so I wouldn’t hold it past you to do that to me again.”_

If Duncan hates anything more in this world, it’s being shot down before he even has a chance to prove himself. He’s been second guessed his entire life by his peers, his teachers, even his goddamn _parents_ never fully trusted him. 

He definitely didn’t need to hear it from her that he was a fuck up.

“Damn it,” Duncan curses loudly. The wind swallows his words. 

The old Duncan urges him to say fuck it. Fuck everything. Prove her right, that her trust in him was misplaced. To not give a fuck about what she thinks and show her just how much he can make her regret ever knowing him. 

The Duncan now feels the crushing weight and guilt of his past. Wants to so badly rewind the tape and take it all back. Before prison. Before Gwen. And sometimes, a life before Total Drama. For the millionth time, he wonders where he’d be if he never sent in that stupid audition tape that seemed to foretell his entire future on a whim. If he had actually chosen to live a normal high school life and hadn’t grown up too fast in an unforgiving prison of an island, and then an _actual_ prison pretty much the minute he turned eighteen. 

But that would have meant never meeting Courtney. Never falling in love. Never knowing that someone out there actually gave a shit about him and unconditionally wanted the best for him. Someone on his side, in spite of his shitty life choices and fuck-ups. The only person that saw him for _him,_ and not as the ex-convict that had lived under the spotlight since he was a miserable, depressed sixteen-year-old with a deep resentment for the world.

Duncan scoffs a little at that thought. A world too cruel for his sixteen-year-old self? How soft. If the world was too cruel for the Duncan back then, he doesn’t even know how he’s made it out alive now. It’s an enlightening thought, Duncan realizes as the wind wraps around him like a safety blanket. More cars pass by in a smeared blur. Would he even be alive today if it weren’t for Total Drama? What the fuck would he even be doing?

Sure, he existed as mere entertainment fodder for Chris McLean, and then kept alive for the absolute cesspool of fucked up shit that was the incarceration system in Canada. But he’s still here today as a result. He plays in a band, a fucking good one at that. He’s back together with Courtney, something he never thought would happen again in this lifetime. He’s been given a second chance, maybe a first considering he’s had to fight for someone to give him one his whole life. He’s alive. The thought alone sends a dizzying rush of air into his lungs. 

_Huh,_ Duncan thinks. _Now that’s something to talk about in therapy._

Duncan takes a deep, shuddering breath. Slows down. Exits the freeway. 

He turns the motorcycle around. 

* * *

Courtney wakes up to someone gently shaking her shoulder. 

“Princess.” A voice, low and gruff, tickles her ear. She shoots up.

“What time is it?” Courtney rasps in spite of her attempts to clear away any lingering fatigue. She clears her throat. “Where have you been?” 

Duncan sits in front of her, an awkward arm’s length away. He rubs his neck. “It’s only seven. I brought you this.” He shoves a takeout box into her hands and doesn’t look at her in the eye. 

Courtney blinks and looks down. The folded white container is hot in her lap. He must have just picked it up. 

“Thanks.” She says stiffly. Duncan nods curtly. 

Silence. Courtney takes this time to blindly pat around the couch for her phone, only for Duncan to roll his eyes and point to the spot next to her. Her hands fumble to pick it up. 

“Why are you sitting all the way over there?” Courtney quirks an eyebrow. 

“First rule of prison is to never crowd a guy in their sleep. Nine times out of ten they’ll wake up swinging.” 

“I’ll swing at you regardless.” Courtney mumbles. “Idiot.” 

“Touché.” 

Another silence. Courtney nods her head to the empty space on the couch next to her. Duncan gets up from his spot on the floor and hesitantly sits down next to her. He leaves a big enough gap for someone else to sit in between them. 

“Duncan, I’m a lawyer, not your parole officer.” Courtney says dryly. 

Duncan scoffs but takes his cue to scoot closer to her. “You know that I don’t trust any pig that’s involved with the criminal justice system. ACAB and all that. Especially here in the States.” 

Courtney crosses her arms. “Well, you’re lucky that I’m single handedly going to turn the whole system on its head.” 

Duncan ducks his head so she can’t see the pleased smile on his face. 

Courtney’s stomach longs for the white takeout box currently serving as a space heater for her lap. Instead, she carefully settles it onto the floor and turns so she’s directly facing Duncan.

“Are you ready to be a big boy and talk about your feelings now?” Courtney huffs without any real malice in her tone. 

“I’m sorry.” Duncan mutters. “Forreal.”

Courtney lets out a small sigh. “I’m… I’m sorry too. But we both know this has been a long time coming.”

“On the contrary, I didn’t know you still had any doubts about us.”

“It’s not so much that I doubt you’ve changed.” Courtney bites her lip. “I’m just… Scared. You have all these… Fangirls at your disposal whenever you want, and we haven’t been spending much time together because we’re both so busy. You’re a literal rock star, Duncan. What guy wouldn’t want to live that lifestyle?” 

“First of all, I don’t appreciate being boxed into a certain genre.” Duncan flicks her forehead and Courtney scowls. His face turns somber. “But it’s not that I… Don’t miss you or anything.” Ever the tough guy, Duncan’s face is flushed with embarrassment. Courtney can’t hold back an endearing smile. “And it’s not like I don’t want to make time for you. You know I really can’t help it when things get pushed behind schedule. I knew that was the life I signed up for when we got signed onto our label. But I had no idea you were so insecure about this. You have nothing to worry about. I’ve said this to you before, but why would I tie myself down in a relationship if I wanted to fuck around?”

“Of course you would say that,” Courtney glowers. “I’ve read your fanmail Duncan. These girls are quite… Brazen. I know they’re desperate enough to say or do anything to try and change your mind.” 

Duncan smirks as he lightly pushes a finger to her chest. “I never thought you’d be paranoid over a bunch of teenagers.”

Courtney swats his hand away. “They’re not _just_ from teenagers you dolt! Do you really not read through your fanmail?” 

“There’s too much of it. The PR team shows me the important stuff anyway. Do you still read yours?” 

“Of course I do!” Courtney cries indignantly. Then crosses her arms. “... A lot of them are questions about us though.” 

“See Princess?” Duncan laughs as he wraps an arm around her. She makes a noise of non–compliance but doesn’t push it away. “We’re solid. The whole world knows we’re together. I’ve fucked around my whole life to know that that lifestyle isn’t what I want anymore. I only want you.” 

Courtney raises an eyebrow. “Fucked around your whole life huh?” 

“Princess,” Duncan groans. “Not literally fucked around with girls my whole life. The one time I did as a stupid teenager just happened to be broadcasted on national television and look where that got me. Happy?” 

Courtney snorts but settles back into the weight of Duncan’s arm around her. A peaceful silence envelopes them.

Until Courtney’s stomach rips the loudest growl she’s ever heard. 

Duncan is still laughing, even after they've moved to the dining table and Courtney chucks plastic knives at his head. 

* * *

“For the record,” Courtney says abruptly over their takeout. “I am very appreciative you took the day off for me today. And for getting the food.” 

“Why don’t you look at me in the eyes and try saying that one more time, sweetheart?” Duncan singsongs with a shit–eating grin on his face. Courtney was still Courtney, no matter how many years of therapy and healing would change the fact she hated apologizing or being wrong. 

Courtney flicks a middle finger up in response and continues to eat. 

“By the way,” Duncan keeps his tone light. “You said you were done with finals on May 17th right?” 

“Yes, and I can’t wait.” Courtney sighs around a mouthful of food. 

“What are you doing that weekend?” 

Courtney cocks a head as she considers her iPhone calendar. “I’m not particularly busy.” 

“Good, cause I already booked us a weekend trip to go to Joshua Tree.”

Courtney doesn’t even flinch. “I know. Google search showed advertisements of Joshua Tree on your laptop when I borrowed it.” 

Duncan slams a fist down on the table. “Damn it! I was so fucking sure I surprised you this time.”

“For the record, I already Venmo’d you for half the money.” 

“What?! Courtney what the –” 

“And I blocked you so you can’t send it back.”

“Are you freaking serious woman?” Duncan would be mad if he wasn’t so impressed. And a little turned on. 

Courtney leans over the table, a picture of pure innocence and batted eyelashes. “Now… How about dessert?”

**Author's Note:**

> ... I honestly have no idea where this came from. I was in a Duncney mood, I guess (as I often am nowadays it seems LOL), and was inspired to write some obstacles I think they'd encounter after the curtains fell in "All the Reasons Why". I seriously didn't think I'd be writing Duncney ever again! But I guess old habits die hard after I've been writing them (on and off) for literally 12 years lol. 
> 
> I also thought it was cool exercise to write in Duncan's POV because I don't actually think I've ever done that before! I hope I did his aged-up version justice. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading, please review and I hope you liked it! :)


End file.
